Sometimes, great things happen to me.

Today, I was driving home from the grocery store, peacefully observing pedestrians and such, when I saw him. He was standing on the corner of the stoplight, legs on either side of his phenomenal red 1950's bicycle.
The windows of my mini-van (Yes. I drive a mini-van. And yes, I love it.) were rolled down, and it just so happened that Cyndi Laupers ever-so-classic hit, "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," was blasting itself to every ear within 1 mile of where I was. I eased up to the red light, turned my head to the right, and through my yellow sunglasses, observed him, there on the corner, observing me.
With his aviator sunglasses, and his tan fadora, and those two-toned suspenders, I loved him so much.
After a few seconds, he gave me the most attractive half-smile I have ever seen.
Real men don't smile. They half-smile. Because the half-smile has a 97% success rate when it comes to getting women to fall in love with them.
Then, he began to do a jig in a mocking manner to the song presenting itself to him.
And we both laughed, for there was much humor in the situation.
He removed his sunglasses just as the light turned green.
Then he looked at me, with his piercing eyes, and gave me a wink, and I gave him a closed-mouth smile, and that was our way of saying goodbye, I suppose.
I never said a word to him, nor him to me.
And even though I will most likely never see this man again, it was a lovely 30 second encounter.


I hope I marry a man with a fadora and a 1950's bicycle.




By: Mallory

and by the way.

Carla Bruni - "L'Amoureuse" from Downtown Music on Vimeo.

i love carla bruni.

if suddenly you have an influx of time and dollars... and want to have an influx of pounds...

you could live like i did this week.

1. eat out at zupas.

2. eat out at rubio's.

3. eat breakfast that your young women's leader made you for mutual.

4. eat out at pizza pie cafe.

5. eat out at china isle.

6. eat out at pho noodle house.

7. eat steak that your dad made.

8. die obese.

i tried to draw everything i ate this week in my writing book, aka 'journal' to civilians, until i realized how unhealthy i was being. so i stopped. and it looks like this:

i will soon die of a heart attack. don't worry about me.

By: Hannah

Into the Void.

I find that I spend a significant amount of time throwing words out into a great, empty space.
I call this empty space "Nothing."
Sometimes I feel as though Nothing listens better than anything, so I tell Nothing just about everything.
I speak so much more smoothly and my words fit together so much more nicely when I talk to Nothing. When I talk to anyone else, I often find myself wordless, flustered, and afraid. Afraid of the truth, that is.
But when I talk to Nothing, words come easily. And the truth is simple.

Someday, I will meet a man who will replace Nothing.

And I will call him Everything.



By: Mallory

special.

don't try to be original, just try to be good. -- paul rand.

when we are honest - that's my saying - if we are honest then we will reveal ourselves. but we do not have to make an effort to be individualistic, different from others. -- paul cezanne.

our individuality is all, all that we have. there are those who barter it for security, those who repress it for what they believe is the betterment of the whole society, but blessed in the twinkle of the morning star is the one who nurtures it and rides it in, in grace and love and wit, from peculiar station to peculiar station along life's bittersweet route. --tom robbins.

always be a first rate version of yourself and not a second rate version of someone else. --judy garland.


it's something that's taken me much too long to realize.
and even longer to embrace.
being

different,

special,

unique,

or

individualistic

doesn't take effort.

trying to be different defeats the purpose.
trying to be different makes you somebody else.
i don't have to try to be special.
i just am.

By: Hannah

Dear Life,

I find it difficult to believe that anyone is sincere anymore.

Including myself.

What is sincere, anyway?

It's nothing but a characteristic that is no longer possessed by mankind.

I wish it were.

Because then there would be no second-guessing. No doubts.

And all I seem to do these days is second guess and doubt.

Sincerely, Mallory





By: Mallory

i have a secret crush.

on brad from the next food network star.
dear brad, 
i'm sorry you got eliminated.
i thought for sure you'd go to new york. but alas, all is well. i predict that you will return to the land of food television. too many people love you for it not to happen.
if adam gertler is on tv, i would not worry about you.
he's kinda creepy. 
you're just adorable.
come cook dinner for me anytime.
but only if you're wearing the hat.
love, hannah.